Coach got Penguins on winning track

Sunday

May 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMMay 31, 2009 at 11:10 AM

PITTSBURGH -- What the Detroit Red Wings ask Pavel Datsyuk to do, the Pittsburgh Penguins ask of Sidney Crosby. Be a star. Be yourself. Think big, but also remember it's the little things that win hockey games: Getting to the puck, backchecking, being a two-way player.

PITTSBURGH -- What the Detroit Red Wings ask Pavel Datsyuk to do, the Pittsburgh Penguins ask of Sidney Crosby. Be a star. Be yourself. Think big, but also remember it's the little things that win hockey games: Getting to the puck, backchecking, being a two-way player.

Call it the Mike Babcock influence upon Dan Bylsma.

Bylsma didn't begin coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins until 3 1/2 months ago, yet he has them within four victories of the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 17 years. The man Bylsma needs to outcoach, starting with Game 1 last night in Detroit, is responsible for him being behind an NHL bench so soon after ending his playing career.

Six years ago, Bylsma was one of Babcock's forwards when Anaheim lost a seven-game final to the Devils. Two years after that, Bylsma spent time with Babcock while serving as an assistant coach of the Ducks' Cincinnati farm club during the NHL lockout season.

Now, Bylsma could become the second rookie coach to take over a team during the season and win the Stanley Cup; only Al MacNeil of Montreal in 1971 has accomplished it.

Bylsma is surprised it's happened so fast -- a year ago, he was hoping to land an American Hockey League coaching job for this season -- but Babcock isn't.

Bylsma was a role player during his NHL career -- he scored 19 goals in 429 games -- but Babcock saw him as a motivated, details-oriented athlete who cared about winning, but also about what makes winning possible.

"Danny's a good guy," said Babcock, who is in the finals for the third time in six years. "He's honest, he's hardworking, a quality guy who brought energy on a regular basis. He played on will and determination. He was a good team guy, he had a positive attitude all the time."

Exactly what Bylsma, 38, asks of his players. Much like Babcock's Red Wings, Bylsma asks not only Max Talbot and Craig Adams to do the dirty work, but also Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The Penguins were desperate when Bylsma replaced the fired Michel Therrien on Feb. 15.

Bylsma felt fortunate to be in position to get the job. Todd Richards almost certainly would have been hired instead, but he left Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) after last season to become a San Jose assistant and was replaced by Bylsma.

Therrien oversaw the Penguins' transformation from one of the NHL's worst teams in 2005-06 to a Stanley Cup finalist last season, but his autocratic ways with players were wearing thin. Players were confused by their roles, and the offense was suffering because of the emphasis on not making mistakes in a defense-driven system.

While refusing to criticize Therrien, Bylsma implemented an aggressive, puck-control style designed to keep the opponent under constant pressure and create scoring chances for Crosby and Malkin.

The coaching change saved the Penguins' season. They were 27-25-5 before Bylsma took over, but went 18-3-4 during a stretch that included the best trip and best homestand in franchise history. Including the playoffs, the Penguins are 30-8-4 under Bylsma.

Once Bylsma took over, center Jordan Staal said, "Everything just came together."

Bylsma was told by general manager Ray Shero upon being promoted he would be evaluated at the end of the season. However, Bylsma's impact was so immediate, he was given a multiyear contract shortly after the playoffs began.

"I always said I'm going to act like the head coach and pretend I'm going to be the head coach in the future, and we'll let it play out on the ice," Bylsma said.

Bylsma also said the Finals won't be about him and Babcock, but rather which team settles into its game the fastest -- a key considering the series starts with games on consecutive nights and three games in four nights.

"It's about our guys getting to their game and trying to get them off their game," Bylsma said.